Exploring Silence, Secrecy, and Coded Language: Ethnographic Encounters with Cisgender Women and Trans Women Involved in Sex Work in Kolkata, India
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsMany thanks for the opportunity to review such an important piece of work. I am impressed with what you have been able to produce. To further strengthen your work, kindly refer to the attached reviewer report. At this point, I am recommending that the manuscript be accepted after minor revisions. Well-done.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Reviewer 1 comments and author responses:
1. Many thanks for the opportunity to review your work. This is a very important topic that is relevant to the field of gender studies, yet it remains under-researched due to the nature of its sensitivity. Well-done.
Author response: Thank you very much, your constructive feedback is much appreciated!
2. Kindly use the Chicago referencing and writing style; your paper could benefit from numbering of headings and subheadings. This could immensely improve its presentation and flow.
Author Response: Citation and referencing style have been changed according to the journal guidelines.
3. Your methodology section needs to be revisited and strengthened further. While your field-based observation section is explained clearly, more information needs to be provided on the semi-structured interviews section. What were some of the interview questions? how long were the interviews? when (time frame) were the interviews conducted? This section also fails to explain the type of sampling applied and does not fully explain how the data was analysed. What measures were put in place to safeguard the quality of data? Whilst the authors explain that ethical clearance was obtained, due to the sensitivity of the study, the authors should briefly describe the ethical considerations of the study.
Author Response: We have made additions as suggested, please see the changes/additions made in red in pages 5-6.
4. However, please take care of your writing style with regards to the presentations of narratives, quotation marks should only be used for small statements, big statements should be in a paragraph and indented, kindly revisit the Chicago writing style.
Author Response: All have been changed throughout the manuscript as suggested.
5. Your recommendations should be further illuminated to cover policy and practice recommendations, which indicate what different role players and stakeholders need to do. You should also articulate recommendations for further research.
Author Response: Please see additions made under section “Conclusion and Implications” in pages 11 and 12. All additions are in red font.
6. Kindly note that it is not acceptable to have citations in the conclusion. Kindly paraphrase the point so that you can remove the citation/reference.
Author Response: Citation removed and paraphrase made as suggested. Please see changes made in red in page 12.
7. Your abstract is well formulated and highlights what is covered in the manuscript. Well done. However, it could further benefit from briefly highlighting the data collection methods, methods of data analysis, stating the number of participants interviewed, and briefly indicating one of the recommendations from the study.
Author Response: All points added as suggested, please check additions on page 1 under abstract in red font.
8. Your introduction is well written, and it provides the necessary national and regional context of the paper, definition of key terms, and background information. Your introduction provides the aims and rationale of the study. However, it has some information that could have been shifted to the literature review section as a way of sharpening your introduction.
Author Response: Parts shifted from introduction to literature review (and also to discussion section) as suggested.
9. Whilst your field-based observation section is explained clearly, more information needs to be provided on the semi-structured interviews section. What were some of the interview questions? how long were the interviews? when (time frame) were the interviews conducted? This section also fails to explain the type of sampling applied and does not fully explain how the data was analysed. What measures were put in place to safeguard the quality of data? Whilst the authors explain that ethical clearance was obtained, due to the sensitivity of the study, the authors should briefly describe the ethical considerations of the study.
Author Response: All changes and additions made as suggested. Please see under “Researcher's Background and Data Sources” on pages 5 and 6. All changes and additions are in red font.
10. You came up with very striking findings, well done. It is good that you provided the verbatim/quotations from participants to support the findings; this makes your findings very alive, in the true style of qualitative research. However, please take care of your writing style with regards to the presentations of narratives, quotation marks should only be used for small statements, big statements should be in a paragraph and indented, kindly revisit the APA writing style.
Author Response: Quotation marks and presentations of narratives changed as suggested throughout the paper.
11. Conclusion The conclusion is well written and provides very clear implications of the study. However, it could further benefit from indicating the limitations of the study and further expanding the recommendations to cover policy and practice recommendations, which indicate what different role players and stakeholders need to do. You should also articulate recommendations for further research. Kindly note that it is not acceptable to have citations in the conclusion. Kindly paraphrase the point so that you can remove the citation/reference.
Author Response: Limitations and recommendations added as suggested. Citations removed and paraphrase added. Please see section under “conclusion and implications” on pages 11 and 12. Changes and additions are in red font.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis is an excellent and timely article on an important subject that deserves publication. The issue of "silence" and labelling in sex-work studies is very pertinent and this discussion will be an important contribution to the field. The authors are to be congratulated for their nuanced and insightful discussion. I have only a few small suggestions:
1.line 78 - arough translation of "khajrawali" would be helpful
2.lines119-121. Some further explanation of the link between the trafficking/slavery lens and state/non-state violence would be helpful here for readers who are less familiar with the literature around this.
3. In the Findings section, the subheadings could be reworded to be more self explanatory and in line with each other e.g. 1. "silence as resistance to..." 2. "silence as navigating respectability" etc.
Author Response
Reviewer 2 comments and author responses:
1. This is an excellent and timely article on an important subject that deserves publication. The issue of "silence" and labelling in sex-work studies is very pertinent and this discussion will be an important contribution to the field. The authors are to be congratulated for their nuanced and insightful discussion.
Author response: Thank you very much for your positive feedback, much appreciated!
2. line 78 – a rough translation of "khajrawali" would be helpful
Author response: Translation added. Please see portion in red font on page 2.
3. lines119-121. Some further explanation of the link between the trafficking/slavery lens and state/non-state violence would be helpful here for readers who are less familiar with the literature around this.
Author response: An explanatory paragraph added as suggested, please see section in red
font under heading “Sex work in Kolkata, India” on page 3.
4. In the Findings section, the subheadings could be reworded to be more self explanatory and in line with each other e.g. 1. "silence as resistance to..." 2. "silence as navigating respectability" etc.
Author response: All subheadings changed as suggested. Please see changed subheadings in red on pages 6,7,8 and 9.
